Allman Brothers In Memory of Elizabeth Reed, Whipping Post Live at Fillmore East 1970

One of The Allman Brothers Band’s most famous instrumental songs, “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” was written by Dickey Betts and originally recorded for the band’s second studio album, Idlewild South. The songs In Memory of Elizabeth Reed and Whipping Post (8:18) are also featured on their next album and first live album, The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East.

The Elizabeth Reed composition is influenced by Latin jazz, and in concert would commonly be extended to include long improvisations. It was named after a headstone that Betts had seen in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia, where founding band members Duane and Greg Allman (as well as original bassist Berry Oakley) would later be buried. The nebulous name in the title was necessary due to the fact that the inspiration for the song was a woman whom Betts was seeing surreptitiously as she also happened to be fellow musician Boz Scaggs‘ girlfriend.

In the band’s original line-up with Duane, the song would generally follow the structure of the studio recording: first would be four bars of chords, the first theme repeated three times, the second theme played, Dickey’s guitar solo, Gregg’s organ solo, Duane’s guitar solo, a short drum duet, and the second theme played again. Some live recordings from this period (including the Fillmore East performance) insert a yearning solo by Duane as part of the introduction after the first four bars, which heightens the drama when the main theme arrives.

The Allman Brothers Band members:
Duane Allman – lead guitar, slide guitar
Gregg Allman – organ, piano, vocals
Dickey Betts – lead guitar
Berry Oakley – bass guitar
Jai Johanny Johanson – drums, congas, timbales
Butch Trucks – drums, timpani

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